Rotary engine



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

C. D. FARMER.

ROTARY ENGINE.

' No. 435,293. Patented Aug. 26, 1890.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

@11mm/1ER. ROTARY ENGNE.

No. 435,293. Patented Aug. 26, 1890.

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C. D. FARMER.

ROTARY ENGINE.

10.435,293. Patented Aug.26,1890.-

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES D. FARMER, OF CHEBOYGAN, MICHIGAN.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 435,293, dated August26, 1890. Application led November 5, 1889. Serial No. 329,315. (Nomodel.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that l, CHARLES D. FARMER, of Cheboygamin the county ofCheboygan and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Rotary Engines; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and useit, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form partofthis specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in rotary engines, and isintended as an improvement upon Patent No. 412,07 9, of October 1, 1889;and it relates to that class of engines which consist of anoperating-shaft having secured to one end a disk carrying a number ofcylinders which have their piston-rods suitably connected by means ofpivoted rods to a stationary point outside of the center of said disk.

The objects of my invention are to add strength and durability to theoperating-shaft by using a solid instead of a hollow one, byprovidingsaid solid shaftwith exterior grooves for the inlet of livesteam and the outlet of the exhaust-steam, and surrounding the shaftwith a sleeve or provide the sleeve with grooves; to provide therevolving disk with two chambers-one for the live steam and the otherfor the exhaust-and also with inlet and outlet ports which connect thesaid chambers with the steam-chests; to reduce the cost of manufactureby casting the disk and the cylinders integral; to 'connect thepiston-heads of each pair of cylinders to a single pistonrod; to soconstruct the yokes which surround the reverse-cam that the valve-rodsof each pair of steam-chests are connected to a single yoke, so as toproduce a parallel motion of the rods; and, finally, to so arrange andcombine the parts that the friction is reduced to a minimum, and thatonly a few steam-joints are necessary.

Figure 1 is a vertical section of a steam-engine which embodies myinvention. Fig. 2 is an end view looking in the direction of the outsideof the disk. Fig. 3 is a vertical crosssection taken upon the dottedline X X of Fig. l, which shows the construction of the camyokes and thereverse-lever. Fig.,21 is a detached perspective of the shaft, showingthe inlet and outlet channels formed in the exterior surface thereof.Fig. 5 is a detached perspective of the sleeve. Fig. 6 is a detachedplan view of the inlet and exhaust chests or hoods P S. Fig. 7 is adetached perspective of a portion of the disk D, showing the guides Jattached thereto. Fig. 8 is a detached perspective of the flange O. Fig.9 is a detached perspective of the perforated plate R. 10 is a detachedperspective ofthe disk D. Fig. 11 is a detached perspective of one of thyokes.

The operating-shaft C is supported in bearings Which are secured to theupper ends of the vertical supports B, which 'have their lower endssecured to the Hoor of a building or to a supporting-platform in anysuitable manner. Secured to the outer end of the operating-shaft C isthe circular disk D, to the periphery of which may be secured thecylinders E in any suitable nanner, but which are preferably castintegral-with the said disk for the purpose of reducing its cost ofmanufacture. Secured to the opposite end of the shaft is a drive-pulleyA', which communicates motion by means of a belt to any desired point.The shaft C is provided `with the Ilanges B at each side of the bearingC', and which hold the shaft in its proper positionagainst any endwisemovement. Secured to the outer ends of the shafts D are thefriction-rollers E', upon which rests the operating-shaft C at its outerend. Placed loosely around the operating-shaft and` through which itfreely revolves is the reversing-cam J, which is provided with areverselever T, by means of which the said cam is given ahalf-revolution for the purpose of shifting the valve-rods which areattached thereto, and causing the live steam which is in thesteam-chests to enter the opposite ends of the cylinders, and thusreverse the motion of the engine.

The cylinders E and steam-chests R are of the ordinary construction, andare provided withinlet and outlet ports of the usual form, and do nottherefore need any further description in'this connection. Thevalve-rods F of each pair of chests R have their inner ends connect-edto a yoke. These yokes consist of the parallel bearing-surfaces G',which IOO have their outer ends connected by means of 'said'bearing-surfaces G', .and by means "of which they are adjusted inrelation to each :other andto the cam J. Projecting outward from thedisk D are the guides I','which guide the inner ends of the valve-rodsadjacent to the yokes. By forming these yokes of the construction hereshown and connecting the valve-rods of each pair of steam-chests to asingle yoke, as here shown, the valve-rods are given a uniform andparallel motion at all times. The piston-rods G extend entirely acrossthe outer face of the disk D,and have their opposite ends fastened tolthe pistonheads of opposite cylinders, as here shown, and have securedto them the cross-heads H, to which are pivoted at their inner ends theconnecting rods or links K, which have their outenendspivoted upon astationary pinL, whichiis adj ustably secured in the upper end of thevertical support M.` This bearingpointL is V`placed beyond or outside ofthe center of the `disk D, preferably one-half the distance traveled bythe. said piston-rods.

Extending outward from the disk D upon its outer face are the supportsJ', through which the piston-rods G freelymove, and to which the innerends of the guiding-rods K' are secured, and which have their outer endsfastenedyto the innerends of the cylinders E. The cross-heads H, whichare secured to the piston-rods G, slide upon and are guided by these-rods K'. It will be readily understood that the pin L beingplacedoutsideor be-y yond the'center of the disk D,.when steam `is admittedto`the cylindersand the piston-rods H reciprocate the disk D is'revolvedthrough the-medium-of the connecting rods or links K, which areattachedat opposite ends to the cross-heads of the piston-rods and tothe said pin L.

Either the operating-shaft C or the sleeve' Iis provided Vat its innerend with* the channels or-grooves L M', through which live steamwis-admitted to the cylinders and the exhaust-steam withdrawn therefrom,lin the manner hereinafter described. Surrounding thisportion ofA theshaft C is the sleeve I,

whiclikhas upon its inner end the ange or disk-Quinto and through whichthe operating-shaft C passes, and which ilange is pref'- erably formedintegral with vthe sleeve I.'

Formed in the inner face of the flange O is a chamber N', into whichlive steam passes throughfthechannel or groove L', made intheinnerfaceof the flange O, and securedy therein in any suitablemannergalso made 4the inner Wall of the said chamber.

yZ' and with an inlet-o'peningA".

through the flange O is an opening S', through which steam passes fromthe exhaust-channel M', which is formed in the shaft C, and this openingis closed against communication with the chamber N' by means of theannular flange T', which extends outward from This opening S iscontinued on through the plate R', which forms the outer Wall of thechamber N', and connects at its inner end with the exhaust-chamber U',made in the inner face of the disk D. Connecting with the chamber U attheir inner ends are the radial channels or openings V', which havetheir upper ends connecting with the steamchests R. The flange Ofits-into a recess formed in the inner face of the'dsk D outside of theexhaustfchamber U' andL pro# vided with a packing of any suitablesubstance, and which ilangeis bolted-to the disk- D. Suitable packing isalso providedA be# tween the plate R' andthe flange O and around theinner end of theoperating-shaft, which passes through the flange O andtlie disk D, and has a cap W secured to it-sonter end by means of ascrew, and which assists in holding the said shaft in its properpositionin the flange O and the disk D.

ThechannelM', which conducts the exhaust'- steam from theexhaust-chamber IIC-formed in the inner face ofthe diskD, is made longerthan the channel L', which conducts'theA live steam to the live-steamchamber N', and

` Secured to and supported upon the platform A, fastened to the upperends of the `verticalsupports B, is the' stationary' inlet chestf or`hood S, which surrounds thesleeve I,-and

which is provided withan annular chamber or hood S is provided with theordinary stuif- This chest IOO IIO

outer end Withfthe ordinary stufiirig-boxlfory forming a steam-tightjoint atthis :pointy iFormed, preferably, inthe underside offthis lhoodor chest P isl an exhaust-outlt C".- `Thus it will be seen that theopenin`g"-'X`-',"A `formed in the sleeveLcommunicates-With the annularchamberlB", formedinthechesti P, and With the grooveM', made `in theexte-` chest orhood S, and with the groove L', formed in the shaft C.Theinner end of the hood oi' chest Sis provided with "an annular groevenf and the adjacent end of the hood or chest P with a projecting flangewhich tits into the said groove, and a packing placed between them,whereby a steam-tight joint is formedaround the sleeve I at this point.Extending inward adjacent to the outer sides of the hoods P and S arethe horizontal rods D, which have their inner ends suitably secured tothe bearings C. The hoods P and S are provided with suitable loops oreyelets through which these rods pass, and placed upon the rods arescrew-nuts by means of which the hood P and the stuffing-boxes at eachend of the said hoods are securely clamped and held in their properrelation to each other. By means of this construction the hollow shaftwhich is used in the patent above referred to is done away with and asolid shaft placed in its stead, whereby the said shaft is much strongerand much more durable than a hollow shaft. This construction also doesaway with a great many of the steam-joints and packings which arenecessary where a hollow shaft is used for conducting the steam to thecylinders, and the heating of boxes thereby greatly reduced. Extendingupward from the supports B or the iioor A are the rods E, which areprovided at their upper ends with projecting pins which form stops forthe reverse-lever T when it is thrown to either side for the purpose ofreversing the motion of the engine.

Live steam is admitted through the pipe A", which is provided with anordinary throttle or valve for regulating the amount of steam passingthrough it into the chest or hood S, through the live=steam channel orgroove L', formed in the shaft C, through the opening O', made in theflange O, into the live-steam chamber, N', and thence through theopenings PQ to the steam-chests. The exhaust-steam passes from thesteam-chests through the opening V into the exhaustchamber U', made inthe inner face of the disk D, through the opening T', made in the iiangeO, to the exhaust groove or channel M', made in the shaft C, and thenceto the annular chamber formed in the hood or chest P, and out throughthe exhaust-pipe connected therewith.

Having thus described my invention, I claim,-

1. In a rotary engine, the combination of a rotary shaft havinglongitudinal external live and exhaust steam channels, a sleevesurrounding the said shaft and revolving therewith, which forms theouter walls of said channels, the said sleeve having inlet and outletports for live and exhaust steam, a disk secured to the said shafthaving channels which connect with said'channelsin the shaft, ordinarycylinders and steam-chests connected to the said disk, and piston andcutoff rods, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a rotary engine, the combination of the operating-shaft providedwith live-steam channels, the sleeve which surrounds it and which isprovided with an inlet-opening, the disk secured to the outer end of theshaft carrying ordinary cylinders and provided with live-steam channels,the piston-heads, and two piston-rods which connect at their outer ends,respectively, to the piston-heads of opposite cylinders, the stationarypin placed outside or beyond the center of the disk, and the connectinglinks or rods which are connected at opposite ends, respectively, to thesaid piston-rods, substantially as shown.

3. In a rotary engine, the combination of the operating-shaft providedwith live-steam channels, a sleeve which surrounds it and which isprovided with an inlet-opening, the disk secured to the outer endthereof carrying ordinary cylinders and provided with channels whichconduct the steam from the said groove made in the operating-shaft tothe cylinders, the piston-rods which extend entirely across the outer`face of the disk and conn ected at opposite ends to the piston-heads,the guiding-rods which are supported adjacent thereto, the cross-headssecured to the piston-rods, the pin which is supported outside of thecenter of the disk, and connectingrods which are connected at oppositeends of the said crossheads and to the pin, substantially as described.

4. In a rotary engine, the combination of the operating-shaft providedwith inlet and outlet channels, the sleeve which surrounds it, and whichis provided with inlet and outlet ports, the disk secured to the outerend thereof carrying ordinary operating-cyliny IIO shaft, the disksecured to its outer end carrying operating-cylinders and steam-chestsand provided with channels which connect said live-steam channel of theshaft and with the steamchests, the reverse-cam which is placed looselyaround the said sleeve, thc yokes pro` vided with two bearing-surfaces,the rods which connect them at opposite ends, and the valve-rods ofopposite chests connected, respectivcly, to the said operating-surfaces,

whereby the rods are given a parallel and uniform movement,substantiallyas specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in i presence of twowitnesses.

CHARLES D. FARMER.

Witnesses: WM. P. DE KLYNE. R. ROBINSON.

